2000
#96,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 175
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Gargia
An occupational surname derived from the Spanish word "garganta" meaning "throat", likely referring to a doctor or surgeon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Gargia. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gargia surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Gargia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gargia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gargia
The surname GARGIA is believed to have originated in the region of Galicia, located in the northwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, which is now a part of modern-day Spain. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Celtic tribes that inhabited the area during the Roman era, around the 1st century AD.
The name GARGIA is thought to be derived from the Celtic word "gar," which means "rough" or "harsh," potentially referring to the rugged and mountainous terrain of the region. It might also be related to the Latin word "garcus," meaning "wild boar," which could indicate a connection to hunting or forestry.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name GARGIA can be found in the "Tumbo Viejo de Sobrado," a medieval Galician cartulary dating back to the 10th century. This document contains references to individuals bearing the name, suggesting its use as a surname during that period.
In the 12th century, a nobleman named Rodrigo GARGIA is mentioned in the "Crónica de la Población de Avila," a chronicle detailing the repopulation of the city of Ávila in central Spain. This provides evidence of the name's spread beyond its original Galician roots.
During the 13th century, a prominent figure named Juan GARGIA was recorded in the "Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla," an important document that listed the landholdings and privileges of the nobility in the Kingdom of Castile.
The 14th century saw the birth of Pedro GARGIA, a renowned author and poet who contributed to the development of Galician literature. His works, such as the "Cancioneiro da Ajuda," have become significant cultural artifacts from that era.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named María GARGIA was documented as a benefactor to the Church of San Martín de Albelda, located in the province of La Rioja, Spain. Her patronage played a role in the preservation of this historic religious site.
Over the centuries, variations of the name GARGIA have emerged, including GARCÍA, GARZA, and GARZÓN, each with its own regional and cultural influences. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names, such as Gargas, a municipality in the French Pyrenees, and Gargüera, a village in the province of Cáceres, Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gargia
Among Census respondents with the surname Gargia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gargia bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gargia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.6% · 109
- White6.7% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gargia
Gargia appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#83,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
+51 bearers (+29.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 13,254 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-107 bearers (-47.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 59,562 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #96,480 | 175 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #83,226 | 226 | 0.08 | +51 bearers (+29.1%) | Up 13,254 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -107 bearers (-47.3%) | Down 59,562 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gargia surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #83,226 | #142,788 | -71.6% |
| Count | 226 | 119 | -47.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.04 | -50.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gargia bearers went from 226 to 119 (-47.3% change). The surname moved down 59,562 positions in the national ranking, going from #83,226 to #142,788.
FAQ
Gargia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gargia?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Gargia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Gargia?
Gargia ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Gargia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gargia.
Has Gargia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gargia went from 226 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 107 (-47.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #83,226 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Gargia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gargia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gargia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gargia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.6%), White (6.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gargia (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gargia mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Spanish word "garganta" meaning "throat", likely referring to a doctor or surgeon. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gargia (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Gargia?
You can see how many people have the surname Gargia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.